Getting a tattoo may hurt, but giving one is no picnic, either.That’s the finding of the first study ever to directly measure the physical stresses that lead to aches and pains in tattoo artists—workers who support a multibillion-dollar American industry, but who often don’t have access to workers’ compensation if they get injured.

Researchers at The Ohio State University measured the muscle exertions of 10 central Ohio tattoo artists while they were working, and found that all of them exceeded maximums recommended to avoid injury, especially in the muscles of their upper back and neck.

In the journal Applied Ergonomics, the researchers presented their findings and offered some suggestions on how tattoo artists can avoid injury.

The study was unique, explained Carolyn Sommerich, director of the Engineering Laboratory for Human Factors/Ergonomics/Safety at Ohio State. She and former master’s student Dana Keester spent a summer “hanging out in tattoo parlors with our EMG equipment, cameras and a tripod,” observing artists who agreed to work while wearing electrodes that precisely measured their muscle activity.

To the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first time that anyone has gathered such data from tattoo artists at work.The electrodes gathered data for 15 seconds every 3 minutes for the entirety of each tattoo session. Though a single tattoo session can last as long as 8 hours depending on the size and complexity of the tattoo, the sessions used in the study lasted anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. In addition, the researchers used a standardized observational assessment tool to assess each artist’s posture every five minutes and took a picture to document each observation.

To Keester, some reasons for the artists’ discomfort were immediately obvious. She noted that they sit for prolonged periods of time, often taking a posture just like the one immortalized in Norman Rockwell’s painting “Tattoo Artist”—they perch on low stools, lean forward, and crane their neck to keep their eyes close to the tattoo they’re creating.

All 10 tattoo artists exceeded recommended exertion limits in at least one muscle group. Most notable was the strain on their trapezius muscles—upper back muscles that connect the shoulder blades to either side of the neck, a common site for neck/shoulder pain. Some exceeded limits by as much as 25 percent, putting them at high risk for injury.

Those findings mesh well with a prior survey of tattoo artists that Keester carried out at the Hell City Tattoo Festival in Columbus, Ohio, in 2014. Among the 34 artists surveyed, the most common complaints were back pain (94 percent), headache (88 percent), neck pain (85 percent) and eye pain (74 percent).

Tattoo artists suffer ailments similar to those experienced by dentists and dental hygienists, the researchers concluded. Like dental workers, tattoo artists perform detailed work with their hands while leaning over clients. But, unlike dental workers, tattoo artists in the United States lack a national organization that sets ergonomic guidelines for avoiding injury.
One of the main problems is that the industry doesn’t have specialized seating to support both the artist and the client, said Sommerich.

“There’s no such thing as an official ‘tattoo chair,’ so artists adapt dental chairs or massage tables to make a client comfortable, and then they hunch over the client to create the tattoo,” Sommerich said.

Adding to the problem is the fact that many tattoo artists are independent contractors who rent studio space from shop owners, so they’re not covered by workers’ compensation if they get hurt on the job, Keester said.

Despite these challenges, the Ohio State researchers came up with some suggestions that may help artists avoid injury. Artists could experiment with different kinds of chairs for themselves, and try to support their back and arms. They could change positions while they work, take more frequent breaks and use a mounted magnifying glass to see their work instead of leaning in.

They can also consider asking the client to move into a position that is comfortable for both the client and the tattoo artist, Sommerich added.

“If the client can stand or maybe lean on something while the artist sits comfortably, that may be a good option,” she said. “Switch it up once in a while.”

In the United States, tattooing is a $2.3 billion industry. A 2016 Harris Poll found that a third of Americans have at least one tattoo, and an IBIS World report estimated that the industry is growing at around 13 percent per year.

The Stretch That Could Be the Key to Saving Your KneesThere’s nothing like hours of running and biking to shorten the hip flexors. If you spend hours each day in a chair at a desk, the problem becomes even worse. Effects can include the types of knee pain that will drive you nuts, devour performance capacity and perhaps even strand you on the sidelines with an injury.You may have seen (or tried yourself) the stoplight stretch: You’re on a run waiting for a green light at an intersection, and you prop yourself up against a post with one hand and use the other hand to grab your ankle behind your back and try and eek out a quad stretch of sorts. Have you noticed how that doesn’t really do anything?The intent is good but the technique doesn’t do any deep or lasting work. Compare it to Kelly Starrett’s “Couch Stretch”—so named because it can be a highly potent way to turn five minutes of any TV watching from the sofa into a performance-enhancing change in your underlying physiology and mechanics.Phase 1:Find a wall/couch and get on your hands and knees with feet against the edge.Phase 2:Making sure your abs are tight and back is straight, place one knee in the corner of the wall with your leg straight up.Phase 3:If this is enough stretch for you, stay right here. If not, keeping your core tight, bring the other leg forward, placing your foot flat so it’s under your knee.For many, this will be enough stretch. Once again, if this is not enough stretch for you, continue by pushing your hips forward and bringing your upper body more upright. Finish by squeezing your butt on the back leg side.Hang out here (or whatever stage you stopped at) for two minutes. You should feel a deep stretch in the front of your down (kneeling) leg, ranging anywhere from the knee all the way to the hip, depending on where you are most tight. The more flexible your legs the higher up you’ll feel the stretch toward your hip. The goal is to push the hips forward past neutral while keeping the back straight, however most people can’t the first time. Find the point at which you feel a good stretch and stop there.Phase 4:The second stage takes things up a notch. Keeping tight through the core, lean back, and straighten your body up as much as you can trying to hit an upright posture. Hold for 2 minutes and then switch legs.

Do this every night and in a week or two your hips, back and legs will be dramatically looser. I see people on a regular basis who come in with a little back tightness or knee pain that “magically disappears” after this stretch. It’s not magic, it’s just relieving some muscle tension that’s pulling on the back or knee and causing pain. The couch stretch is not going to fix everyone and everything but it helps almost everyone I have suggested it to, particularly when done regularly and with attention to the details of the sequence and body position. It’s one of the few stretches I do regularly and is the most recommended stretch I give out.

USE THE RIGHT POSITION TO FIX YOUR LOW BACK PAIN
We hear quite often that 💺 sitting is the new 🚬 smoking. But that’s not always the case, especially with low back pain. And in fact, sitting may be a good option for you.
Low back pain can often be categorized by the motion that causes pain. Extension intolerant people tend to get pain when extending their spines (back bends, large anterior pelvic tilts, overhead movements). Flexion intolerant backs hurt more when flexing forward (sitting, forward folds, touching your toes). And each one can get relief in different ways.
Standing puts your spine in more ⚟ extension. So those people that get flexion based pain typically find relief from standing up and walking around.
Sitting decreases the ⚞ lumbar curve. For those who have extension based pain, sitting down can actually be a welcome relief.
How can you use this info?
A key in fixing low back pain is understanding and finding ways to control 😠 pain triggers so that they can 😌 desensitize. Use the info provided here to take the appropriate “micro-breaks” throughout the day and avoid setting off a trigger from staying in one position for too long.
So let’s take a poll. Which one is better for you? 💃Standing or 💺sitting? Sound off below and let me know!
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A pilot study published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork measured the effects of massage therapy (MT) on fatigue, pain, spasticity, perception of health, and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The 24 patients who completed six weeks of regular massage treatment showed significant improvement in pain, fatigue, and spasticity symptoms.

The study authors concluded: “MT as delivered in this study is a safe and beneficial intervention for management of fatigue and pain in people with MS. Decreasing fatigue and pain appears to correlate with improvement in quality of life, which is meaningful for people with MS who have a chronic disease resulting in long-term health care needs.”

Are you new to running and trying to establish a good training routine to keep me injury free? Are not very flexible and have had some injuries in the past when I have trying to run?
Massage and running go hand in hand, and here’s why:
Running requires sustained, repetitive muscle contractions. The greater these contractions are, the greater the force generated is, and the more muscle fibers are required to shorten. These sustained, repetitive muscular contractions translate into speed, power, and distance allowing us to run further and faster. However, this can also translate to shortened, tight muscles, joint range of motion losses, and decreased circulation to compressed tissues. Massage works to elongate the muscles, relieve muscle tightness, restore joint range of motion, and improve circulation.
In a nutshell, massage improves the effectiveness of the circulatory system. This system is responsible for oxygen transfer, nutrient delivery, and waste removal at the cellular level. Our circulatory system delivers blood enriched with oxygen and nutrients, like glucose and electrolytes, to muscle tissue. It then picks up and removes muscle metabolic by-products and waste.
Furthermore, the circulatory system impacts all the other systems of the body too. Therefore, increasing the effectiveness of the circulatory system directly or indirectly impacts our entire body. Better circulation means better delivery of nutrients and oxygen to surrounding cells and tissues.
Therapeutic massage can elicit very specific physiological responses, such as, increased blood circulation, increased diameter of blood vessels, and decreased blood pressure. These effects are significant for everyone, but are of particular importance to a runner looking for ways to recover faster, prevent injuries, and improve performance.
To learn more or to schedule a session contact us at 813-695-2338
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